Here are some more blogs to provide detail about the whole Australian Iphone landscape

The link for the article is http://barinya.com/australia/iphone_australia/iphone_news_australia.htm

APPLE IPHONE AUSTRALIA NEWS

9 April 2008
Australian iPhone Release Date Info Given to Resellers by Apple Australia

Rumours have been rampant for months since the launch of the iPhone in the USA back mid-2007 regarding Australia's chance to buy the iPhone. There have been numerous dates and leaks of false info, so much so that some people even think Australia is never going to get it. Today however, Apple have been informing resellers of their iPhone release strategy for Australia.
Resellers have been informed of the following things:
• Last week of June release
• More than 1 carrier
• No contract lock in
• Current resellers will be able to sell iPhones

That's a lot of juicy info there and might not make sense off hand. Let me break down the significance of this.

Last week of June release
This ties in perfectly with the Sydney Apple store opening, any WWDC announcements, iPhone 2.0 software and time for stock to filter in to the country. hmm 

WWDC is in the first week of June this year, which could be the announcement of the 3G iPhone we're all waiting for. A 3G iPhone lends credence to the fact resellers have been told the iPhone will be on multiple carriers, as every telco in Australia has a 3G network. The current iPhone will only give high speed data on Telstra.

iPhone 2.0 software will be released then, and a late June release gives it time to be rolled out on new factory models for shipping to Australia, so the iPhone can be sold on the new features v2.0 brings.

A late June release also ties in well with the Sydney and Melbourne Apple stores currently under construction. It's well reported that at the progress of the Apple stores, a June opening is likely. What better grandstanding event to launch the store with than a new 3G iPhone? Would be be worthy of a visit to Australia from Steve Jobs - I'm sure he'd like to have a nice holiday in Sydney too.

Resellers have been told specific dates, but they have all been told different dates within the same week. If a specific date is said in the media, then Apple knows who leaks it and can slap them around. As the sources of my info are also my friends, I haven't included the dates. However, it is fairly certain Apple will not pre-announce the iPhone very far in advance, or at all, with a simple "iPhone is available now, come and buy it!" approach, compared to the dates given overseas to let people prepare.

More than 1 carrier

Having multiple carriers is a shock, but not unbelievable. Our telcos have been notoriously stubborn dealing with Apple, not seeing the potential benefits of having exclusivity of the device. It is highly likely Apple simply said "Seeing as you won't play with us, we'll give the iPhone to anyone who wants it, meaning you all lose out on exclusivity for your network".

More than 1 carrier also leads to the rumours of a 3G iPhone. In Australia, the only high speed network the current iPhone works on is Telstra's EDGE network. If Apple was to release the current model here in Australia, they would need to be exclusive to Telstra, or persuade another telco to upgrade their GSM network to EDGE to support it (like what O2 is doing in the UK). However, if a 3G iPhone is released, it won't matter, as all telcos have a 3G HSDPA network (either running on the 2100mhz or 850mhz frequency, both of which are supported by multiple 3G chipsets in mobile devices).

No contract lock in

No contract lock-in ties into the idea of multiple carriers, as there's no need to hold anyone in to a certain provider to use the iPhone, unlike in the USA and other countries. Perhaps Apple have learned that there's no point holding the iPhone back to a certain provider, as we're all unlocking them anyway and are using Australia as a test-bed for rolling it out elsewhere due to Australia's high adoption rate of mobile phones and new technology, but our small market that won't hurt them if it fails. Good for the aussies

Current resellers will be able to sell iPhones

In the USA and other countries, you can only purchase iPhones from Apple, or from branded stores for the provider (AT&T stores for example). In Australia however, Apple are planning on letting resellers stock and sell iPhones, just like any other product, as the range of telco stores and official Apple stores is low, but resellers are wide-spread - together with driving people into stores where Macs are, so they'll look at what else Apple does. Also, it's the reason Apple is telling resellers in the first place, because they'll be selling them - otherwise Apple would do what they need to do without them.  Nice change

So that's what we know about the iPhone so far. No doubt more info will be released over the coming weeks. Australia finally gets the iPhone - now let us all speculate on the plans and whether it will be 3G or not! (~sourced from Digg & Apple MacTalk Forum) - [Naturally Apple have NOT openly confirmed these details yet]

3 April 2008
At an AT&T event, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega dropped some interesting information. He had mentioned earlier in the event that he expected all of their smart integrated devices to be 3G in the next couple months. Sascha Segan from PC Mag asked it that included the iPhone. De la Vega responded, "Let me repeat what I said: I think that you're going to see our integrated devices be 3G devices in the not-too-distant future, and I mean months.

27 March 2008
Apple iPhone rumours are buzzing about again with reports Apple has ordered some 10 million new 3G iPhone handsets to release in a few months.
The rumours suggest Australians may be amongst the first in the world to have the Apple 3G iPhone handset in 2008.
Apple will not confirm to me the release date for the Apple iPhone in Australia, only that a 3G iPhone will be released this year.
Analysts who examined supplier agreements and even Steve Jobs' travel expenses to suggest that they expect the new 3G iPhone to be released around June/July.

Kevin Rose, (of social news site Digg) adde to the rumours this week by stating that a "source" told him the 3G iPhone was due soon and would include video calling.

Wired reported rumours that Apple has now ordered 10 million 3G iPhone handsets on top of an existing order for 10 million first-generation iPhones (based on an analyst's anonymous source).
Apple's Tim Cook said in February that the company was on track to sell 10 million Apple iPhones this year.
In November, a manager for (Spanish mobile carrier) Telefonica told tech blog Sevenclick that the company expects to be distributing the 3G iPhone by May.
If the Telefonica rumour is true, then Spain could be one of the first countries to receive the Apple 3G iPhone.
Apple has scheduled an Australian iPhone release date for 2008 but has not confirmed if this will involve the new 3G iPhone model.
Local telco networks Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone are all in contention to be the official Australian iPhone carrier when it is released here this year.

13 March 2008
MacWorld are convinced that the Apple iPhone will be sold and partnered in Australia with the Telstra Corporation based on reports that Telstra is planning on porting their little used Sensis search engine over to the iPhone platform. Rumours now associate the conclusion of building the new Sydney glass apple store to the launch of the Apple iPhone in Australia. Further fueling speculation that the iPhone release in Australia will see a 3G iPhone handset.

7 March 2008
3G iPhone rumours have been around for a long time, however a new report points to specific sources knowledgeable about the updated iPhone. This source suggests that the 3G Apple iPhone could be released in April/June 2008.

The 3G iPhone uses next generation wireless data that provides faster speeds over the EDGE technology used in current iPhones.

Steve Jobs has stated that existing 3G chipsets drew too much power for them to be used in the original iPhones.

Recent advances in wireless chipset technology have reportedly addressed these power consumption issues.

23 January 2008
Word has it that SingTel (Optus in Australia) is using its Asia Pacific reach and clout to convince Apple to give it exclusive rights to sell the Apple iPhone in those regions (including Australia). Optus spokeswoman Melissa Clare declined to comment on the move.